Garment supporting assembly



Dec. 1, 1964 B. R. PERCIN GARMENT SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY Filed March 9, 1962 United States Patent GARMENT EUEPGRTZNG ASSEMBLY Benjamin R. Persia, North Hollywood, fialirl, assi n-or to Henry S. Handler Filed Mar. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 17%,6fi2 1 Claim. (Cl. ze -res The present invention relates to an improved garment supporting assembly for a skirt, slacks, capris, shorts, or other garments; which includes a belt adapted to be worn around the waist of the wearer and around the upper peripheral edge of the skirt, or other garment.

The invention is more particularly concerned with an improved belt and clasp assembly for use with skirts which are not equipped with the usual belt loops; in which a clasp, constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention is afiiXed to the belt to serve as a means for attaching the upper edge of the skirt to the belt.

Garment supporting assemblies of the general type under consideration are known. However, for the most part, the prior art structures of. this general type involve a belt having slotted brackets mounted on it, the brackets being adapted to receive hooked brackets attached to the upper edge of the skirt. In some instances, in the prior art structures the slotted brackets are attached to the skirt, and the hooked brackets are attached to the belt.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved clasp-belt garment-supporting assembly, and an improved clasp for use in such an assembly, which assembly is capable of supporting a skirt, or other garmeat, without the need for attachments of any kind to be attached to the skirt itself.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an improved clasp-belt garment-supporting assembly in which the clasp component is attached to the belt in a unique, improved and simplified manner.

Another object is to provide such an improved garo ient-supporting assembly which is cheap and economical to produce, and which can be sold at a relatively low price.

Yet another object is to provide such an improved garment-supporting assembly which can be adjusted and secured to the supported garment in a simple and straightforward manner, and which does not require awkward manipulations or adjustments.

Another object is to provide such an improved beltclasp garment-supporting assembly by which the garment is efiectively sustained in its proper position without any tendency to sag or to part inadvertently from the clasp.

The improved clasp of the invention is intended to be attached to the belt, and in the embodiment to be described, the clasp may be conveniently aflixed to the belt under the lining thereof by a suitable adhesive. Furthermore, rivets or other suitable fasteners may be used in addition to or alternately with the adhesive. The clasp may be positioned at the small of the back, or in the case of a belt buckled in the back, would be in front. if two clasps are used, they could be positioned in the front and back, or at the sides.

The clasp to be described includes a pair of spur-like members which extend outwardly from the base or" the clasp and which are intended to pierce the garment near its upper edge. A spring-loaded hinged clamping component of the clasp may then be moved pivotally down over the edge of the garment to hold the garment over the spur-like members. When the clamping component is so moved into its clamping position, it is locked by means of a releasable latching member, as will be described.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a construction in the clasp by which the spring-loading members and the spur-like members are configured and positioned to form a support for one another so as to simplify the constructional details of the clasp.

Another feature is the mounting of the clasp on the belt to form the over-all assembly. As noted, the clasp may be afiiXed to the belt by a suitable adhesive, rivets, or other means.

Gther objects, advantages and features of the invention will become evident from a consideration of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a rear View garment-supporting assembly constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention, the assembly being shown in FIG- URE l worn around the Waist of a wearer;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIGURE 1, taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG- URE 1, and showing the constructional details of the clasp portion of the assembly, and the manner in which the clasp portion is mounted on the belt;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the clasp portion of the illustrated embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the clasp of FIG- URE 3 taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3 and revealing particularly the manner in which a resilient member is positioned in the clasp; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, similar to the View of FIGURE 4, and illustrating the manner in which a latch member may be actuated to release a clamping member of the clasp.

With reference now to the drawings, it will be observed that the illustrated embodiment of the invention includes a belt 1%. This belt is intended to be worn around the waist of the wearer and to be secured at the front by a suitable fastener, such as the fastener 12.

As illustrated particularly in FIGURE 1, the belt 16 is worn around the upper peripheral edge of a skirt 14. A clasp 16 is mounted on the belt 10 in position to engage the wearer substantially at the small of the back. The clasp 16 is clamped firmly over the top edge of the skirt 14, and it serves to hold the skirt firmly and securely up and under the belt it The claspio includes a flat plate-like base 18 which is adapted to be flat against the inner surface of the belt. The base 18 may be attached to the belt by adhesive, if so desired. Alternately, or in addition, a pair of rivets such as the rivet 20 may be used to attach the base to the belt.

A pair of spur-like members 22 extend through the base 29 and outwardly from the plane thereof. The outer extremities of the spur-like members are pointed, as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The spur-like members 22 each have a head 24, so that they have a tack-like configuration.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the belt it may have a lining 26 which extends partially over the base 18. The spur-like members 22 may extend through the lining 26, as shown.

The clasp 16 includes a fiat, plate-like clamping member 39. The clamping member is hinged to a pair of upstanding cars 32 winch are formed integral with the base 18.

The clamping member 38 may be pivotally moved with respect to the base 13 between a closed position (FIG- URES 2, 3 and 4) in which it is in spaced, parallel relationship with the base; and an open position (FIGURE 5) in which it is substantially perpendicular to the base 18.

The clamping member 3% has a transverse bead 36 formed adjacent its free edge. The bead 36 xtends over the pointed ends of the spur-like members 22, as best shown in FIGURE 4, when the clamping member is in its closed position.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the upper edge of the skirt 14 is placed between the base 18 and the clamping member when the clamping member is open. Then the clamping member is clamped down to its closed position, shown in FIGURE 2, in which the spur-like members firmly and securely seize and hold the upper edge of the skirt 14 in the bead 35.

The'clamping member 30 is held in its closed position by a releasable latch 49. The latch 49 is pivotally mounted on the base 18 in a pair of ears 42 which are formed integral with the base. The latch has a rectangular shape, and it extends across the base 13 adjacent the upper edge of the clamping member 30.

A resilient member 44 is mounted on the base 18. This member is held in place by the spur-like members 22 which extend through it. The member 44, in turn, serves to retain the spur-like members 22 on the base.

The resilient member 44 includes a first integral spring strip 44a which has an upstanding extremity 44b. The extremity 44b engages a strip member 48 when the clamping member 38 is closed. The strip member 48 is mounted on the inner surface of the clamping member in perpendicular relationship therewith, and it extends across the clamping member in spaced relationship with its upper edge.

The resilient spring strip 44aserves to spring load the clamping member 30, and to bias the clamping member towards its open position. That is, the clamping member 30 is spring biased in a counter-cloclrise direction in FIGURE 4.

The resilient member 44 also includes an integral spring strip 440. The spring strip 440 has a bent-over end 44d which engages a tab 4011 on the latch 40. The spring strip 440 biases the latch 40 in a clockwise direction in FIGURE 4, so that its front edge engages the top edge of the clamping member 30; when the clamping member is in its closed, latched position of FIGURE 4. Note the locking notches at the ends of the latch 40 which provide positive looking to prevent opening of the members 30;

Therefore, when the clasp 16 is in the condition illustrated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the clamping member 30 is securely latched by the latch 48 in its closed, clamping position.

To release the clamping member 30, it is merely necessary to turn the latch 40 back against the pressure of the spring strip 440, as shown in FIGURE 5. This releases the clamping member 30, and enables the spring strip 44a to snap it to its open and released position.

When the latch 40 is released, it moves to. the position shown by the solid lines in FIGURE 5. Then the clamp ing member can be restored to its closed, latched position, merely by moving it down from the position shown in FIGURE 5 and pressing it into the latched position shown in FIGURE 4.

acre

The invention provides, therefore, an improved garment-supporting assembly for use with a skirt, or similar garment. As described, the assembly of the invention is simple in its construction, and yet it is capable of securely supporting and holding the garment in place. Moreover, the assembly of the invention is simple to adjust and to be clamped in place.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown, modifications may be made. The claim is intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A garment supporting assembly, comprising: I

a broad, generally planar base plate lying in a plane, said base plate having a top edge and a bottom edge, two laterally spaced tabs carried by said base plate; clamp'plate having a top and bottom edge, pivot means mounting said clamp plate on said tabs, said pivot means establishing a pivot axis across said clamp plate adjacent said top edge thereof, said clamp plate thereby having a swing movement between a clamp position substantially parallel to said base plate and a release position at an angle thereto, said clamp plate top edge being positioned beyond said pivot axis and swingable toward said base plate in a swing path; lock bar having opposed end walls, pivot means mounting said walls on said base plate in a position generally normal to said base and clamp plates, said walls having a first position as a lock member in said swing path to prevent said swing movement of said clamp plate top edge, and pivotable away from said clamp plate toward said top edge of the base plate to a position out of the path of swing of said clamp plate; and said base and clamp plates having coacting garment engaging means cooperating to grip a garment when in said clamp position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 390,133 9/88 Meyer 24.66

674,847 5/01 Lundburg 24262 897,976 9/08 Germann 24 1,118,782 11/14 Koski et a1 24160 1,213,392 l/l7 Maloney 2425O I 1,336,129 4/20 Baxter et a1. 24-258 2,079,045 5/ 37 Schlaepfer 2-337 2,538,509 1/51 Dorner 24250 2,691,172 10/54 Breslow 23l2 DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. J. I -I ICK EY, Examiner. 

